Safety speed boat



Dec. Y24, 1946. A, H. HANSON 2,413,227

SAFETY SPEED BOAT Filed June 2, 1944 A 1 @yl/11071115171111111110.

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Patented Dec. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFIcE SAFETY SPEED BOATAlfred H. Hanson, Long Beach, Calif.

Application June 2, 1944, Serial No. 538,354

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a safety speed boat.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide a motor boat in whichis combined to a greater extent the qualities of speed and safety; toconstruct a motor driven boat in such a manner that the water offersless resistance to its propulsion; and to construct the boat in such away that it is of a more unsinkable character.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide under the hull ofthe boat an improved combination of buoyant members and propellermembers wherein said buoyant members will direct the Water toward thepropeller members in such a manner that the latter will perform theirfunction in a more efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dual screw propellerstructure operated by a differential gearing driven by a single moto-r,said differential gearing being located between the two parts of thepropeller and driven by a single Cl. 11S-39) 2 l upper edge an outwardlydirected flange I2 which alfords a means for bolting the pontoon to thebottom of the boat in a water-tight manner. For this purpose clampingstrips I3 and I4 are provided in an underlying relation tosaid flangesthrough which pass bolts I5 surrounded by washers I6 Which underlie thestrips I 3 and I4 and are clamped against them by nuts Il. Each pontoonis divided into a longitudinally extending series of air-tightcompartments by means of internal partitions I8. At its front end eachpontoon has a vertical edge 9a.

The pontoons which have been described are spaced well apart from eachother in parallelism,

so as to leave between them a space equal to more than half the width ofthe bottom of the boat,

- and along the midwidth of this space extends motor; thus insuring thatat least one propeller will continue to operate even though the other isprevented from rotating.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a rudder which is soconstructed and positioned that its operation causes a quicker change ofdirection in the course of the boat.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is atpresent deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the boat portions of its structure beingbroken away in order to -disclose underlying parts;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the boat, a portion of one of thepontoons being broken away in order to disclose more clearly itsinterior structure;

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the boat, the upper part of the hull beingbroken away to contract the view;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional, fragmental view of a modification whereinthe power transmission means is provided with a dilferential gearing.

' Referring in detail to the drawing, the hull 5 has at flat bottom E, aconventional tapered bow portion 1, and may have a flat sternal wall 8.To the bottom 6 of the hull is secured, along each side of the boat, astream-lined pontoon or buoyant member 9. These pontoons are preferablyformed of sheet metal, thus providing them with an ample interior airspace. Each of these pontoons is shown having a bottom wall I0 and sidewalls II, each of said side walls having along its the front propeller20 and rear propeller 2 I, these two propellers being in axial alignmentwith each other, their adjacent ends being considerably spaced apart.These propellers are shown as twin structures, each of them consistingof a cylinder 22 which is surrounded by a helical blade 23, eachpropeller having an axial shaft 24 to which its cylindrical portion isattached by any suitable well-known means. Said shafts are rotatablymounted upon brackets 25 which are shown bolted to the bottom of theboat.

The front propeller 20 has fixed to its rear end a bevel gear 26 whichmeshes with a driving bevel gear 21 xed to the lower end of the motordriven shaft 28. Through the bottom of the boat eX- tends a bushing 29to contain this shaft', a suitable liquid tight seal 30 being providedaround said bushing.

The motor 3|, protected by a cover member or wall 3'Ia, and located inthe bow portion of the boat, may be operatively connected with thetransmission shaft 28 by any suitable power transmitting connection,Fig. 1 showing a sprocket chain 32 which is led around a sprocket wheel33 xed to the upper end of the shaft 28.

The rear propeller 2I has iixed to its front end a bevel gear 34, and asit is preferred to drive both the propellers in the same direction, anidle gear 35 is mounted in mesh therewith, the latter gear being carriedby a shaft 36 mounted within a bushing structure 31 which need not bedescribed in detail as it is constructed in the same manner as thebushing structure which supports the motor driven shaft 28. Between thegears 2'! and 35 is shown a bracket 38 projecting downwardly from thebottom of the boat to support a bevel gear 4D in mesh with the idler 35,and to the opposite end of which is fixed rotatably a 3 shaft 39 to oneend of which is xed a bevel gear 4I in mesh with the gear 21.

The boat is provided with a rudder 43 which is shown shaped as atriangular plate having rounded corners, the base of the triangle beingon the level with the lower edges of the pontoons. To the mid-length ofthis rudder is attached a vertical steering post 44 which extendsthrough a bushing or sleeve 45 the upper end portion of which hasawater-tight connection` with the boats bottom. The sternal wall 8 hasinternally projecting bearing lugs 46 for the rudder post 44,

and to the upper end of said post is attached a steering arm 41.

Owing to the fact that the front portion of the rudder is located withinthe'spacerbetween the pontoons, through which spacepassesa stern allydirected stream of Water produced by the Vac'- tion of the propellers,said rudder is causedi to function more eiciently; when it is operatedto f directthe course of the boat.

The buoyant bodiesor pontoons 9..buoy up the hull of the boat to, such`an extent thatresistance thereof to propulsion is greatly lessened, the

water level being normally maintainedat only slightly above the.bottomof the` hull.. Owingto the. pontoonshavngtapered front ends, thetaper. at each side meeting. in front atavertical edge,4 theydirectthewater` inwardly as-the boat advances, thereby causingtheprcpellers to actv In Fig. 4 is shown a modification wherein the chaindrive of Fig. 1 is replaced by a shaft 50 to which is xed a bevel gear5| in mesh with a bevel gear 52 fixed to the upper end of a shortvertical shaft 54 that extends through the bottom of the boat in aliquid tight manner. Said shaft 54 is the driving shaft of aconventional differential gear structure 55 which need not be describedin detail, and which is operatively connected with the shafts of thescrew propellers 20 and 2l, so that either a retardation or completeobstruction of the rotation of one of said propellers will not interferewith the operation of the other. The sternalend portion of shaft 50 isshown provided with a suitable bearing 56 under a housing 51.

Owing to the fact that both of the driven propeller lsections arelocated at the midwidth of the boat the'arrested relation of one whilethe other continues to be driven will not affect the direction of thecourse the boat is taking, no side draft resulting. as would be the caseif the4 two propeller sections were bilaterally positioned.

While I have shown and described specific` embodiments of my invention Ido not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, andthe invention embraces such changes, modiiications, and equivalents ofthe parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purviewcf the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a motor driven boat, a hull, two elongated aligned screw propellersmounted subjacent to said hull with their axes extending longitudinallyalong the mid-width thereof, there being a space between saidpropellers, a motor carried by said hull, and means for driving saidpropellers from said motor comprising a differential gearing 1ocatedbetween them, whereby one of said propellers may be driven from saidmotor even though the rotation of the other be accidentally prevented.

' ALFRED H. HANSON.

